By Andrew Bansal
December 6th 2013, The Viper Room, West Hollywood CA: Former Runaways singer Cherie Currie was away from the world of rock n’ roll for a long, long time, but a couple of years back she decided to make a return and has been performing at a level that has almost made it seem like she never went away. Most recently, her band opened for Danzig at the Gibson Amphitheater and put on an excellent show, pleasing longtime Runaways fans and impressing those in the crowd who were unfamiliar with who she is. A little over three months later, she overtook the Viper Room stage for her own headline show, which was tied into a Toys For Tots benefit endeavor by the venue. The prospect of witnessing a rare Cherie Currie headline performance in an entire room filled with her own fans was enticing, and one that promised to recreate the magic of the Runaways tunes as well as give us a glimpse into some of Cherie’s new material.
At around ten minutes past 11 PM, the curtains drew apart and Cherie Currie’s band came out all guns blazing with the Runaways classic ‘Queens Of Noise’, kicking off what turned out to be a healthy 60-minute dose of rock n’ roll. In comparison to my previous (and only) time seeing Cherie Currie where I was at least a 100 feet away from the stage, seated in the orchestra section of the Gibson Amphitheater, this was a much more intimate, up-close experience and gave me a much better chance to see and hear what she was doing. Through all the Runaways songs, solo material and other covers she played last night, she held her voice at its maximum strength and exhibited a very graceful stage personality which was more fitting of her age, unlike a lot of the old-time rockers who still attempt to act like teenagers. Cherie’s movements were precise, measured and in sync with the music, as she maintained a high level of singing and showmanship for the entirety of the performance. And this was despite the large number of overzealous fans and photographers in the front row who didn’t show any consideration or respect for the performing artist whatsoever as they kept firing away on their cameras, landing the flash square on Cherie’s face from a distance of mere inches. If the on-stage lighting is low and the camera is just not good enough, people should respectfully put them away and enjoy the show. Flash photography at concerts needs to be abolished forever. Anyhow, I digress.
The show also included two guest appearances, firstly by Alison Scagliotti, actress from the TV show Warehouse 13, sharing vocals on the song ‘Rock And Roll’. Secondly, Gretchen Bonaduce came up to do the same for ‘Roxy Roller’, and to end the night, both of them joined Cherie’s band to perform a cover of David Bowie’s ‘Rebel Rebel’. Each and every Runaways song played last night sounded fantastic, and in many ways, better than the original versions released on the studio albums back in the day. Cherie has clearly matured and developed as a singer from her teenage years to now, and it was very much evident by the manner in which she sang tunes like ‘California Paradise’, ‘Come On’, ‘American Nights’ and ‘Cherry Bomb’. Aside from the Runaways songs, the solo tunes ‘You Wreck Me’ and ‘Rock N Roll Oblivion’ were great additions to the set as well, showcasing Cherie’s own songwriting touch through a noticeably heavier, richer sound as compared to the more stripped down, classic rock n’ roll style of the Runaways. ‘Rock N Roll Oblivion’ in particular was amazing. I was blown away by that tune when it was played at the Gibson, and it sounded all the more powerful last night.
Another new addition to this show was rhythm guitarist Mayuko Okai. For the past four years or so, I’ve been following this Los Angeles-based musician’s musical journey through bands like The Binges and her new band Boost. She’s a very talented and experienced guitarist, and these tunes came very naturally and easily to her.
Cherie addressed the crowd on several occasions between songs, but her lovely monologues were somewhat ruined by the overenthusiastic fans in the front row who kept yelling even as Cherie was talking, barely letting her finish sentences. But from whatever opportunities she did manage to get, she succeeded in mentioning that this was her first show at the Viper Room in 20 years, and was being filmed on camera. She also mentioned the facebook poll wherein fans were asked to vote for their favorite songs, and she obliged them by performing the top two ranked songs on that poll, ‘Is It Day Or Night’ and ‘Heartbeat’.
Overall, the show lived up to its promise and then some, as Cherie Currie and her band put on a memorable performance that will be remembered by this audience for a long time. Here’s hoping for more music and shows from this great rock n’ roll singer in the near future.
Set List:
1. Queens Of Noise
2. California Paradise
3. Rock And Roll (with Alison Scagliotti)
4. You Wreck Me
5. Roxy Roller (with Gretchen Bonaduce)
6. Is It Day Or Night
7. Heartbeat
8. Mr. X
9. Dragging The Line (Tommy James cover)
10.Come On
11.Rock N’ Roll Oblivion
12.American Nights
13.Cherry Bomb
14.Rebel Rebel (David Bowie cover, with Alison & Gretchen)